The early bird schedule is good for responding to people and events around the world, getting a head start on people in your own time zone, and also finding time for exercise and family. What’s more, research shows that early risers tend to be happier and more proactive.

'You and I have lived among workaholics in our day. I have never seen anything like Sergio,' Obama 'car czar' Steve Rattner said on the show. 'When it was a holiday in Italy he'd come to America to work. When it's a holiday in America he goes to Italy to work. Saturdays and Sundays were just workdays to him and for his whole team. And anybody who signed up with Sergio signed up for the program.

PIMCO Co-founder Bill Gross

Running the world's largest bond fund in the world from California pretty much guarantees early mornings. According to Fortune, Gross wakes up at 4:30 in the morning to check out the markets and gets into the office by 6.

Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group

In an interview with Business Insider's Aly Weisman, Branson revealed that he wakes up at around 5:45 in the morning, even when staying at his private island, leaving the curtains drawn so the sun gets him up.

He does his best to use those early hours to exercise before an early breakfast and getting to work.

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi

'I rarely sleep past 4:30 or 5,' Akerson told the AP. 'I've always been an early riser but I get up so I can talk to the folks in Asia before they get too far into their day.'

But the stress gets to him too, leading to 'a lot of sleepless nights.'

General Motors' CEO Dan Akerson

Akerson told the AP he will 'rarely sleep past 4:30 or 5,' waking up so he can talk to GM Asia before it gets too late. He calls it the best job he's ever had: 'It's complex and interesting and exciting.'

But the stress gets to him too, leading to 'a lot of sleepless nights.'

Virgin America CEO David Cush

Cush described his morning routine to the AP: Wakes up at 4:15 a.m., sends emails, calls business associates on the East Coast, and that's before listening to Dallas sports radio, reading the paper and hitting the bike at the gym.

Disney CEO Bob Iger

Iger told the New York Times he gets up at 4:30 every morning. He takes the quiet time to do a number of things, claiming to read the papers, exercise, listen to music, look at email, and watch TV all at once. Even though it's quiet time, he's 'already multitasking.'

Hain Celestial Group CEO Irwin Simon

Simon wakes up 5 a.m. and immediately starts working, going through emails and calling operations in Europe and Asia. He also prays, walks the dog and exercises before his kids wake up, often scheduling a breakfast meeting before arriving at his Long Island office by 9 a.m.

'I have always been an early riser. As you can see, I accomplish a lot in four hours and now feel pumped for the remainder of the day,' Simon told National Post, also saying he works 75 to 100 hours a week running the company behind brands like Rice Dreams and Celestial Seasonings.

Former Peugeot GM Jean-Martin Folz

Now headed to the board of Eutelsat Communications, the former head of Peugeot was said to catch the 4 a.m. train from Dijon to Paris and would finish up a briefing paper within minutes of arriving to his office at 7 a.m. According to The Guardian, Folz also had his Renault Espace converted into an office so he could work while commuting.

Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark

The youngest CEO in the NBA told SellingPower that he gets up at 3:30 in the morning in order to get to the office by 4:30. From there, he works out and sends motivational emails to his team.

He takes it easy on the weekends, arriving at the office by 7 a.m. instead.

Former Oxygen Channel CEO Gerry Laybourne

The founder of Oxygen is awake by 6 a.m. and out of the house a half hour later. If you get up early enough she might even take you under her wing, she tells Yahoo! Finance:

'Once or twice a week, I go for a walk in Central Park with a young person seeking my advice. This is my way of helping bring along the next generation. And if someone is up early in the morning then they are serious about life. I can't take time at the office to do this, but doing it in the morning allows me to get exercise and stay connected with young people at the same time.'

Cedar Fair Entertainment CEO Matt Ouimet

Ouimet likes to get to the office early, waking up at 5:30 in order to get out of the house by 6 a.m.

'I've always been anxious to get to work: game time,' he told Yahoo Finance.

Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior

After waking up at 4:30 a.m., Warrior spends an hour on email, reads the news, works out, and gets her son ready for school. She is still in the office by 8:30 at the latest, according to Yahoo Finance.

Unilever CEO Paul Polman

The Dutch-born Polman gets up at 6 a.m. so he can run on the treadmill in his office. This also gives him time to 'reflect on the work day ahead,' which is probably pretty hectic at a multinational food and detergent company.

Newton Investment CEO Helena Morrissey

Morrissey told The Guardian that she gets up 'at 5 in the morning, sometimes earlier,' and immediately starts sending emails until her kids get up. She has family dinner scheduled at 7:30 p.m. but works again after that, sometimes for as much as two hours, prepping for the next morning's meetings.

She admits to feeling a bit sleep deprived. But that's the job, especially when you've got nine children in addition to running a global investment company.

Incoming GE CEO Mary Barra

Barra, who will replace current CEO Dan Akerson next year is a GM lifer and will be the first female head of a major auto company.

Former PepsiCo CEO Steve Reinemund

While running PepsiCo, this Marine veteran would run 4 miles every morning at 5 a.m., according to CEO.com. This was the only way he could be sure he would have time for his run and would not get caught up in corporate affairs. He also made a habit of reading The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The Dallas Morning News before heading to work.

Now dean of the Wake Forest University School of Business, Reinemund has invited students and faculty to join him on early morning jogs he calls 'Dawn with the Dean,' according to the Business Journal.

Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh

For ESPN, Harbaugh chronicled his work week as he prepared for a game with the Chicago Bears. He usually wakes up well before 6 A.M. and often works until 11. On at least a few nights of the week, he sleeps on his office couch in order to wake up earlier, work later, and get down to work faster.

And despite a packed schedule where pretty much every minute is taken up with watching tape, meetings, or practices, he manages to work out almost every day.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour

The famously intense magazine and fashion icon wakes up every morning at 5:45 to play an hour of tennis, according to The Guardian. After that comes a daily blowout at quarter to 7 to maintain her famous hairstyle.